Car-coupling



(No Model.)

' J. L. PLEDGER.

CAR COUPLING.

No. 571,622. Patented Nov. 17,1896.

M/VE/VTUR WITNESSES: I y 0 I ATTORNEYS. 4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUNIUS L. ILEDGER, OF PELIIAM, ALABAMA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,622, dated November17, 1896.

Application filed June 19, 1396. Serial No. 596.162. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, J UNIUS L. lnnncnn, of Pelham, in the county ofShelby and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to car-couplings of the automatic type, and moreparticularly to a class having a pivoted link adapted to couple withanothercoupling of analogous construction.

The object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling of theindicated character which is of novel simple construction that adapts itfor reliable and ellicient service and which is susceptible of releasefrom a car having the improvements to which it is coupled bymanipulation effected on either coupled car or from the ground at theside of said cars.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, asis hereinafter described, and defined in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a partly sectional plan view of two couplings having theimprovements, which are in coupled condition. Fig. 2 is a side view seenin direction of the arrow 2 in 1, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. l.

The body 10 of the draw-head and integral draw-bar thereon is shownbroken in the drawings, but in complete form the latterinentionedportion is adapted for an attachment upon the frame of a carat itstransverse center in any approved manner.

An elongated link 11 is pivoted by its rear end upon one side of thedraw-head 10, as at ct, and projects in advance of the latter a suitabledistance to permit its engagement with a hook'like lateral projection bon a corresponding side of a similar draw-head. The link 11 is slotted,as at c, which slot eX- tends from a point near the free end of thelinkof sufficient length to permit-its free hooked engagement with thelatch-block I) just mentioned.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the latch-block b is of considerable length andis outwardly inclined from the forward end rearwardly, terminating inthe hook-formation d, and it will be seen that the inner side of theportion e of the link 11, that hooks upon the latch block b, is slopedtoward the forward edge of said portion on the inner side, which servesto render the link end capable of freely sliding upon the sloped face ofthe latch-block when two of the improved car-couplings are moved towardeach other for a coupled engagement. The link 11 is apertured, as at g,to receive the stud 12, which projects from the side of the draw-headwhereon the link is pivoted, said aperture being in the form of alongitudinal slot.

Upon the stud l2, exterior of the link 11, a spring 13 is placed, whichis held thereon by a cross-pin h or its equivalent that is at the outerend of the stud, and the spring resiliently engages the pin 71 and outerside of the link, whereby the latter is normally pressed toward thedraw-head 10.

A transverse slot '5 is formed in the drawhead 10 a short distance fromthe front end of the same, which slot is above the stud 12 andprojecting latch-block b, that are respectively placed on opposite sidesof the drawhead.

A tripping-dog 14 is located in the slot 1' and centrally pivotedtherein, as at m, said dog consisting of a block fitted to loosely rockin the slot it occupies and project therefrom farther at the sidewhereon the latch-block b is located. As shown, the dog 14 is sloped ateach end and slightly rounded on these sloped faces, which adapts thedog to eifectively engage with the link 11, that is pivoted on thedraw-head having said dog, and also at the same time have contact withthe sloped face cl on the end of a similar link that is in latchedengagement with the hook-block I) of the draw-head having the dogthereon.

The pivot m of the dog 1 1 projects through the top wall of the slot '2?far enough to receive the rock-arm 15, which is secured thereon, andsaid arm, which lies in a plane substantially parallel with the uppersurface of the draw-head 10, is to be loosely connected with suitablemechanism of well-known construction, located on the end of the car,which will afford convenient means for rocking the arm 15 either fromthe car-roof or at one side of the car, as occasion may require.

It will be seen that on the approach of cars having the improvedcouplings thereon the projecting link 11 on each draw-head 10 will slideupon the sloped surface of the latchblock b it impinges, resulting inthe automatic coupled engagement of the links of the two draw-heads Withthe respective blocks 1). WVhen it is desired to release the describedconnection of parts, it is effected by simply rocking either arm 15 in adirection that will press the sloped ends of the dog 14 against the endof one link 11 and inner side of the other link, Which will release thelinks from the latch-blocks if the drawheads are nearly in contact witheach other.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The combination witha laterallyslotted draw-head having a rearwardly-sloped latchblockprojected at one side thereof, a tripping-dog pivoted in said slot andhaving sloped ends that Will laterally project when the dog is rocked,and arock-arm on the pivot 0f the dog, of an elongated andlongitudinally-slotted link pivoted on the side of the draw-head by itsrear end oppositely from the latch-block, a stud projected from thedrawhead through a slot in the link, and a spring on said stud adaptedto press the link toward the draw-head, substantially as described.

J UNIUS L. PLEDGER. lVitnesses:

JAMES T. BALD, ROBERT lVIOMULLEN.

